When I was young, I always dreamed of having a family of my own. For some reason, for years I was convinced that my firstborn would be a daughter who would look just like me. I imagined she was be shy and quiet. She would read books, chase butterflies and have deep, empathic qualities. As you know, instead I was blessed with quite the exact opposite.
As parents, sometimes it’s easier to believe that if our children were like us, that somehow, they would make more ‘sense’ to us. We spend a lot of time analyzing our kids and how we think they should be. Certainly, we’ve lived enough life to know what has worked for us. Since our children share our genes, it seems reasonable that what worked for us will work for them. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case.
Having just returned from a Disney cruise, which was phenomenal, I have to admit, there were times I longed for that little girl who would happily pose with me for every Disney character under the sun. Instead, I had two extremely reluctant boys that had to be threatened into photo compliance. Stinky attitudes aside, these boys somehow amazingly pulled it together and rocked out each and every photo.
I couldn’t imagine two more extraordinary, bright, entertaining and loving kids.
What I have learned is that the children you are given are rarely what you expect them to be, but miraculously, are more amazing than you could ever hope for.
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This made me laugh a little in recognition – you see, I have the daughter who looks exactly like me, but what I forgot to factor in is that she is a lot like me in other ways! She is independent and stubborn and has refused to appear in any photo with me since the age of 7. I couldn’t even get a photo of her first day at high school! Your boys are so cute…:)
Children truly are never what we imagine them to be. It must be interesting to have a mini-me. My oldest is so much like my husband in looks and characteristics, I often wonder if I was even necessary in this cloning process(: Thanks for reading!